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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26406871">So Lightly Here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MauveCat/pseuds/MauveCat'>MauveCat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in the Life [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Endless Summer (Visual Novel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Feels, Multi, Weddings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:48:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,242</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26406871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MauveCat/pseuds/MauveCat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taylor and Estela celebrate their anniversary in Elyys'tel</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Diego Soto/Varyyn (Endless Summer), Estela Montoya/Main Character (Endless Summer)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in the Life [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>So Lightly Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>JANUARY</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All right, the boat’s ready to go. Are we forgetting anything?” Wiping her hands off, Estela easily got out of the speedboat and joined Taylor where she stood on the small dock near the beach house, two small duffle bags at her feet.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so. And it’d hardly be a crisis if we did forget something. We’ll only be in Elyys’tel for a few days, after all.” Frowning, Taylor looked toward the east, at the sunrise glinting against the ocean. Was there something on the cluster of sea-washed gray rocks down the beach, or were her eyes playing tricks on her? Maybe she was flashing through someone else’s memories again? No... whatever it was, it wasn’t an illusion. There was definitely something there that was solid enough to cast a shadow. It was an animal of some kind; its hide was an iridescent sapphire that shaded into green and gold highlights, like a beetle’s back. As its head slowly turned to face her, its small black eyes seemed to lock with Taylor’s, almost as if it recognized her in some unknown way. It had bright golden streaks around its eyes that trailed down its neck to fade into the amber-colored shell. She turned to Estela. “Hey... do you see that?”</p>
<p>Estela stood up, immediately alert. “See what?”</p>
<p>Taylor looked back at the coastline, and she blinked. Maybe she <em>had</em> been imagining that huge shape...? No. She pointed toward the peculiar animal. “Right there on the rocks. It’s moving away from us now.”</p>
<p>Squinting into the rising sun, Estela stepped off the dock and took a few paces down the beach. “It looks like... is that a turtle?”</p>
<p>“I think so. It’s the right shape, anyway, but have you ever seen a turtle the size of a Volkswagen before?” Taylor came to stand beside her.</p>
<p>A little uncertainly, Estela said, “Maybe it’s some kind of leatherback? I know that they can get pretty big. Aleister and I are working with a group that’s trying to restore their nesting grounds in San Trobida. You can find them all over the Caribbean so it’s not impossible that they live on La Huerta too. Those colors are completely wrong, though – I never saw a turtle like that. That thing looks almost like a peacock, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>Taylor put her hand on her phone just as the creature slipped into the water and disappeared. “Damn, I wanted to get a picture to show Diego and Varyyn.”</p>
<p>“We could always try to follow it, but I’d rather not take time to go chasing after it right now.” Estela put a hand over her eyes to block the sun’s glare. “It’s really fast, and it’s swimming away from us anyway. I suppose that’s for the best – at least we won’t have to worry about it going after the speedboat.”</p>
<p>“You’re assuming it’s alone?”</p>
<p>Estela grinned at her. “Stop it. <em>I’m</em> the pessimist in this marriage, remember?”</p>
<p>“I guess you’re rubbing off on me.” Looking away from the disappearing beast, Taylor went back to their luggage and began lifting the bags into the boat. “Call me a pessimist if you want, but I’m putting my lifejacket on anyway.” One foot on the dock, one foot on the boat... she wobbled a little. “Whoa!”</p>
<p>In an instant, Estela was at her side, steadying her. “You’re not wearing it yet, so be careful.”</p>
<p>Relaxing into her wife’s arms, Taylor looked up at Estela. “The water’s only a few feet deep, you know. What’s the worst that could happen if I fell in?”</p>
<p>“You could hit your head on the dock,” Estela replied immediately. “Or you could get stung by a jellyfish, or tangled up in seaweed. At the very least, you’d get soaked in seawater and we’d need to go back inside and get you dried off.”</p>
<p>“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Taylor whispered. She nipped lightly at Estela’s earlobe.</p>
<p>Estela bent down and kissed Taylor’s throat. “I suppose we could be a <em>little</em> late getting to Elyys’tel....”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>A few hours later, Taylor entered the central square near the Great Tree and scanned the crowd for someone who wasn’t green or blue. Her eyes lit up when she saw Diego seated on a bench off to the side. “Hey, Diego,” she called as she neared him.</p>
<p>Diego looked up from the small notebook in his hand and he gave Taylor a brilliant smile. “Hey yourself. Just give me a second before I forget this.” He scribbled a few lines before shoving the notebook in his pocket and standing to greet her. The half-grown sabertooth at his feet huffed in displeasure when he stepped around her. “Knock it off, Virrash.”</p>
<p>As she returned his hug, she asked, “Am I interrupting something?”</p>
<p>“Nah. A friend of mine is putting together a book about trends in romantic comedies over the past fifty years – the gradual departure from traditional gender norms, exclusion to inclusion, expanding the intended audience, that kind of thing – and she asked me to write something for it. Right now, I’ve got some thoughts about how <em>Pretty Woman</em> pretends to subvert the American class system but ultimately upholds it. I’m thinking about calling my chapter ‘Fumbling Towards Relevance.’ Do you think it’s too snarky?”</p>
<p>“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”</p>
<p>“True. How was Paris? Did you and Estela have any trouble getting around?”</p>
<p>Taylor smiled at him, and at the memory of New Year’s Eve. “Not as much as I was afraid of. Estela doesn’t speak French at all, you know, but I picked up a lot from you and Aleister, so I think I did all right. Well... basically all right. I have Aleister’s vocabulary, which is good, but I also got your pronunciation, which... isn’t. I understood what people said to me, but making them understand what <em>I </em>was saying? Not so much.”</p>
<p>“Sorry about that,” Diego replied cheerfully. “Madame Rosenbaum always said I had the worst French accent she’d heard since Inspector Clouseau. I barely passed any of her classes but least we bonded over the Pink Panther movies.” A little more seriously, he said, “I guess it was a total crapshoot when it came to what parts of us got mixed into you.”</p>
<p>Taylor lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. Other than IRIS, Diego and Estela were the only ones who knew the full story of her origin, the only ones who understood that it was her repeated rebirths, and all the accumulated contributions of her friends’ personalities and experiences, that had finally led to her becoming something other than a simple manifestation of Vaanu. “I suppose it all balances out. I mean, I already picked up so many skills from all of you that it’s unrealistic for me to expect myself to be good at everything. It’s great that I can cook, and that I’m really handy at fixing things, but I’m learning to accept that I’ve got weaknesses too.” She laughed. “If I had any illusions about that, finding out that I inherited Craig’s tragic inability to dance would have been my wake-up call.”</p>
<p>“At least you’re both enthusiastic on the dance floor. And right now, you’re going to want to use those moves to step aside.” Grinning, he took her arm and urged her out of the way of a harried-looking woman carrying three huge baskets of iridescent flowers. She swerved around Virrash with practiced ease. “Niala’rei, remember? Anyone who’s not getting married, or helping someone get married, had better stay clear. We won’t know for sure how many we’ll have until tomorrow, but it looks like there’ll be a lot of handfastings again this year. Varyyn and Seraxa have both been asked to lead the vows for least three apiece, and Paravet’s sister is <em>finally</em> ready to get married so she’s doing that ceremony. I know a few couples who are still on the fence but I’m sure some of them will jump in at the last minute. They’d better hurry, though, because I think every flower within a mile of Elyys’tel has already been picked. I’m so glad that you and Estela are going to be here with us,” he said as he sat down again, tugging Taylor’s hand until she joined him on the bench. She froze when Virrash poked her nose against her ankles; apparently, she passed the test, because the cat flopped over on her side and closed her eyes again. “Niala’rei was always a big deal, of course, but now it’s also the anniversary of defeating Rourke. The festivities last for a few days now and I really hope you’re ready for some serious celebrating. And speaking of Estela, which I was before I started thinking about partying, where’d she get off to? I know she’s not ready to let you too far out of her sight yet.”</p>
<p>“She’s getting better – she’s been able to go up to half an hour before she comes looking for me. She’s talking to your husband right now, actually. We met Varyyn on the beach when we docked the boat. Estela and I saw something near the house before we left and we wondered if you knew anything about it – how big do turtles get around here, anyway?”</p>
<p>“Do you know what color it was? There are a few different types of turtles on La Huerta. The biggest species – they’re usually green – is pretty good-sized, about four feet long when they’re full-grown.”</p>
<p>Taylor shook her head. “No, the one we saw was at least twice that size.”</p>
<p>“Huh. Was it kind of neon blue and yellow, and did it look like a rare Pokémon?” At Taylor’s nod, Diego said, “Ah.”</p>
<p>When he didn’t go on, Taylor nudged him in the side. “Huh? Ah? That’s not very helpful. I was expecting a ten-minute discussion about the lost Ninja Turtle at the very least.”</p>
<p>“You’re accusing me of losing my touch? That hurts. I’m wounded, really. Look.” He pointed to the corner of his eye. “A tear, an actual tear. Okay, back to the turtle. It’s been spotted a few times, but never as far south as the beach house. The consensus is that it’s probably the new Shore Guardian.” He gave Taylor a sidelong glance. “So even if it looks tasty, you and Estela had better not kill this one.”</p>
<p>Taylor couldn’t speak for a few moments. “But... but that’s....”</p>
<p>“Impossible? I bet you were gonna say impossible. You’re sitting next to a sabertooth as we speak, remember? You should know better by now.” He shrugged. “The Vaanti tell me that’s the way it works. When one Guardian dies, there’s another waiting to take its place. We told you about Furball, remember? He began growing when the Yeti died, so it’s pretty likely that he’s the new Mountain Guardian. The Deep Guardian is probably still wandering around the tunnels. No one’s seen anything that might be the new Sea Guardian, though. Of course, after Cetus no one is anxious to go looking for trouble. If there <em>is </em>another sea monster out there, why rush to meet it? Anyway, the Guardians usually live for centuries... well, the Vaanti think they do. But time didn’t pass normally on La Huerta until recently. Sometimes months – years, even – would go by and no one would age a day. On the flip side, every once in a while someone would leave Elyys’tel for a few weeks, fall into a time bubble, and come back a lot older than they should have been. And Fedra told me once that a friend of hers vanished when she was a little girl, and everyone assumed something in the jungle had killed him. Well, he finally showed up. Fedra was a warrior by then, and her friend? Still the same age as when he’d disappeared. He thought he’d only been lost a few days. That’s why they don’t count birthdays the way we do, and why Varyyn didn’t understand why we made a big deal out of New Year’s Eve. They’re starting to, though. It’s all different now.”</p>
<p>“You’re telling me the Vaanti used to be basically… immortal?” Taylor recalled something Seraxa had said the day the Catalysts first entered Elyys’tel, that she remembered the Three Tribes’ War and the harm it had caused her people. That had been centuries ago. “But now they aren’t, and that’s because of me.” She looked away.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Because you put things right.” Diego pointed at the bustling crowd. “I told you that there are going to be a lot of weddings tomorrow. There were a lot last year too, and the year before. And take a look around – there weren’t nearly this many little kids when I first came to Elyys’tel.” Taylor examined the crowd carefully... Diego was right. Even during the celebrations of Varyyn’s coronation, and then the weddings that followed, she hadn’t seen anywhere near as many small children. Quietly, Diego went on. “For the first time in anyone’s memory, the Vaanti are aging normally, and at the same rate everywhere on La Huerta. But rather than grieving about it, they’re rejoicing in it. They say it’s a reminder that life is precious. And ultimately, it’s not about having kids – even couples who can’t or don’t want to have children are getting married. No one wants to risk spending eternity apart from someone they love.” He smiled as he looked at the assembled Vaanti, and his eyes were peaceful. “Sometimes it’s weird living in a society of Zen masters. But usually... it’s nice.” Taking Taylor’s hand, he pulled her to her feet and led her away from the bench. Virrash’s nose twitched, but she stayed where she was. “Now let’s go find our spouses. After we do that, Seraxa said she had something for you and Estela, so we’d also better look for – whoops!” Laughing, he pulled Taylor out of the way of a man carrying a tray of what looked like candied fruit. After saying something in Vaanti that made the man stop for a moment, he quickly grabbed two pieces and handed one to Taylor. “Give this a try. I think you’ll like it.” Taylor popped the bright green slice in her mouth; it tasted like a sweet lemon with a hint of something that reminded her of rosemary.</p>
<p>“That was a nice save back there. Do you have eyes in the back of your head now?” Taylor asked as they walked toward the beach.</p>
<p>“That’s nothing new. I’ve <em>always</em> had a Spidey-sense for approaching danger,” Diego replied casually.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you –” Taylor’s throat closed up (<em>Almost ten o’clock, and the bookstore was closing. Time to leave. Kimmy would be home from work pretty soon so it was probably safe to head back to her apartment. Dave never tried anything when his roommate was around – as soon as Kimmy walked in, he’d keep his come-ons and his hands to himself. All the same, he should probably think of a reason to move out without getting anyone mad. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a new couch to crash on. Classes were starting in a month anyway and the dorms would be open again – good thing his financial aid at Hartfeld had been finalized before the fight with his parents. Well, all he had was his clothes, his laptop, the St. Christopher medal Abuelita gave him when he left California... it wasn’t like he took up much space in anyone’s life</em>)</p>
<p>“Taylor? Hey, what’s wrong?” Blinking the memory away, Taylor looked at Diego; he was frowning at her, concern in his eyes.</p>
<p>Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him. When she trusted herself to speak without sobbing, she said, “Do you have any idea how glad I am to be back in your life?”</p>
<p>“I’m guessing it’s as glad I am that <em>you’re</em> here, so yeah.” Diego squeezed her tightly and kissed her cheek. He sighed theatrically. “Why am I not surprised that you’re one of those people who get emotional during the wedding season? Let’s get you down to the beach and I’ll fill you in on some of the local gossip – believe it or not, Taari was going around saying he and his latest girlfriend were getting hitched tomorrow. Unfortunately, that was a complete surprise to the girl. And then Seraxa found out about it, and oh boy....”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>That evening, Varyyn sat patiently while Diego carefully unhooked his feathered crown from his long braid. As he felt it being lifted from his head, he sighed and worked out a kink in his neck. “It has been a long day,” he said.</p>
<p>Glancing up from the table where he’d placed the crown, Diego put his glasses next to it before he came back to Varyyn’s chair. “Tomorrow’s going to be longer. Are you sure you’ll remember the vows?” he asked teasingly as he untied the end of his husband’s braid. “It’d be embarrassing if the elyyshar forgot the sacred words in the middle of the ceremony.”</p>
<p>“I have heard the vows every year for all my life, and for five years I have been living them every day with you. I will not forget. After all, I even remembered them last year when you and our friends stood in the crowd and made distracting faces at me.” Leaning back, he tilted his head against Diego’s chest and looked up at him. As casually as he could, he asked, “Have you made any plans to visit your parents yet? You usually start to speak of seeing them once Niala’rei has passed.”</p>
<p>Diego was silent, concentrating on unweaving Varyyn’s hair until it fell loose around his shoulders. Finally, he said, “You know, I think I’m going to hold off on that for a while.”</p>
<p>“I see. It is your decision, of course.”</p>
<p>“It sure is.” Wrapping his arms lightly around Varyyn’s shoulders, Diego dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “So how about you tell me why you sound so happy that I’m not going to California anytime soon?”</p>
<p>Varyyn laughed, a little embarrassed at being caught so easily. “I was trying to be sneaky.”</p>
<p>“Are you kidding? You’ve never successfully sneaked in your life, not even once,” Diego said fondly. “It’s one of the things I love about you.”</p>
<p>“Oh, there is more than one thing?”</p>
<p>Diego came around to lean against the arm of the chair. “There are a lot of things, and I’ll be more than happy to give you a list later. Don’t change the subject.”</p>
<p>Putting an arm around Diego’s waist, Varyyn gathered his thoughts. “There are several reasons, and I admit that the first one is selfish. Ever since Taylor found her way back to us, I have remembered how lonely Estela was without Taylor, and how lonely I was during the months when I waited for your return, and I do not want to feel lonely right now. My second reason....” Choosing his words with care, Varyyn spoke slowly. “Every time you come back from seeing your family, you are unhappy for a time. It may be true that you can tell when I am trying and failing to sneak; it is also true that I can tell very easily when you try to hide your sorrow. But I also know that you do not wish to speak of it, and so I respect your sadness and your silence until they pass. But... I do not want you to feel lonely either, and I do not like that your family makes you feel that way.”</p>
<p>Diego started to answer, then sighed. After a few moments, he said, “You know, every time I’ve gone to see my parents these past few years, I’ve been the one to suggest it. They’ve never told me <em>not</em> to come, but they’ve never asked me to visit, either. There was a point when I thought things were starting to change, but it turned out that they just... can’t. They’ve stopped telling me all the ways I’m not the son they expected, but they still think about it. Maybe I got so used to hiding my feelings because my parents are both incredibly bad at it. Anyway, when I started thinking about planning my next trip to Riverside, I finally realized that. I decided that this year, I’m going to wait to see how long it’ll take them to notice. And then I’ll wait to see what, if anything, they want to do about it. I still need to head to Costa Rica sometime in the next few months – I postponed my last dentist appointment a few times because of everything going on here. The office has been sending me increasingly urgent reminders for the past few weeks. Unlike my parents,” he finished wryly.</p>
<p>Varyyn turned his head to kiss the corner of Diego’s jaw. “I am sorry, my love.”</p>
<p>“Me too.” Diego took a breath. “So what’s your next reason?” He smiled at Varyyn’s questioning look. “You said you had several. That means more than two.”</p>
<p>“We will never be finished with English lessons, will we?” Varyyn’s answering smile faded.  He took Diego’s hand in his and began idly rubbing his finger over the scars he still bore from when he activated the crystals that called Taylor home. “We... do not know where Lundgren is. I know that even if he survived the ocean, the world is very large, and I have no reason to believe that he will be near whatever part of the world you visit. But I fear it anyway.”</p>
<p>“...Varyyn?” Diego’s worry was clear in his voice.</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, Varyyn forced himself to go on. “When I was a captive at his stronghold, the Hydra gave orders that my body was to be unharmed until he decided what to do with me. My mind, however... Lundgren came to speak to me. He knew who you were, and he knew how I felt about you even then. He spoke to me about you. I will not repeat what he said,” Varyyn told Diego forcefully.</p>
<p>“Varyyn, why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”</p>
<p>“Because even in my thoughts, I did not want him anywhere near you.” Varyyn took a few moments to calm himself. “It is true that the Lundgren we knew is dead. But the Lundgren who crossed over into our world... Mike has spoken of him. If only half of his stories are true, this Lundgren is far, far worse than his twin. Even if he does not yet know your name or your face, it is possible that he will learn who and where you are. I know that I cannot command you, and I do not want you to feel that you are trapped on this island, but as your husband, I must ask you– do not go to a place where I cannot protect you. Please.”</p>
<p>Leaning close, Diego wrapped his arms around Varyyn. After long moments had passed, he said, “All right. How about this? Jake always flies me over to Costa Rica for my appointments, and it’s pretty likely that Mike will be flying with him from now on. How about I only stay long enough to let the dentist poke my gums, and I ask the two of them to stick close just in case? And I’ve got some meetings with my publisher and my agent, but honestly, I’d be glad to have a reason to handle those with video calls anyway. I’ll stick close to home for the time being.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Pressing his forehead against Diego’s shoulder, Varyyn closed his eyes. When he felt himself grow calmer, he pulled away. A little shakily, he said, “I am sorry. This is our most joyous season, and I do not like to speak of such things.”</p>
<p>Diego ran his hand through Varyyn’s hair. “Joys, sorrows... that’s what it’s all about. We’ll take care of each other, no matter what. And knowing that you trust me enough to be strong with you, and for you....” He leaned closer. “That is <em>definitely</em> on the list of things I love about you. But....” He hesitated. “Does it really bother you when I try to pretend that I’m fine?”</p>
<p>“Of course it does, because that is something you do not need to do.” Varyyn cupped Diego’s face in his hand. “If you are sad, then you are sad. No one will think less of you because of that. You do not need to run around taking care of everyone around you as you try not to think about your sadness. Let yourself feel it, and let it pass.”</p>
<p>“I’ll... try.” Diego leaned into Varyyn’s touch. After a moment, he asked, “If you want me to cut back on taking care of people, does that mean I can’t play with your hair anymore?”</p>
<p>“I did not say that!” Varyyn replied immediately. He felt his face grow a little warm when Diego chuckled. Trying to reclaim his dignity, he said, “That... is different. Or am I wrong when I say that you seem to enjoy it as much as I do?”</p>
<p>Diego smiled. “Well, considering that you just told me I need to be more honest about my feelings... nope. You’re not even a little wrong.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hesitantly, almost reverently, Taylor ran her hands over the dress she was wearing. She’d worn it before.</p>
<p>Seraxa had finally stopped by the rooms Taylor and Estela were staying in early that morning. With a brusque voice and the hint of a smile, she’d said, “Some of us did not think these dresses would ever be worn again. Please do not tell my people that I finally had faith in something I could not see.” Without another word, she’d laid two dresses – the dresses she and Estela had worn to their handfasting – in Taylor’s arms and she left, shouting at Taari to get back home before she carried him there.</p>
<p>Holding her dress against her body, Estela had flushed a little at Taylor’s suggestion that they both wear their gowns to the celebration. She’d laid the dress down immediately, saying that she’d been in better shape five years ago and anyway, she’d brought a perfectly good set of clothes with her. Taylor, understanding her wife’s shyness, had kissed her gently and slipped into the adjoining room to get changed. Even if she didn’t wear it for the festivities, she wanted to see how she looked in it.</p>
<p>Craning her neck, Taylor tried to see the back of her dress and wondered if anyone in Elyys’tel had some kind of a full-length mirror. It wasn’t likely; one of the benefits of living in a communal society was probably always having someone who would tell you if your hem was straight. And oh, even if it was a little crooked, the dress was as beautiful as she’d remembered. The soft silvery lavender fabric slid over her skin, as soft as her most precious memories. With a sigh, she gave her plunging neckline another twitch and wondered it would stay in place. Even considering the Vaanti’s relaxed attitude to public nudity, she wasn’t particularly eager to flash the entire city during Niala’rei. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to wear it after all.... “Could you come in here, Estela? I need an honest opinion,” she called. She heard the curtain separating the rooms being pushed aside.</p>
<p>“Um... so do I. I think.”</p>
<p>Taylor turned around at Estela’s hesitant words, and her heart skipped a beat. “I... thought you weren’t going to wear it.”</p>
<p>Estela stood before her, nervously plucking at the silky fabric of her dress. “I wasn’t. But I was looking at it, and I was holding it, and I was... remembering it. I was remembering you and the way you looked at me when you saw me in this, and I – I –” Estela’s cheeks, already flushed, turned an even deeper pink. “I wanted to wear it for you. I know I don’t look the same. I didn’t have Michelle here to do my hair and makeup this time,” she finished weakly.</p>
<p>“You don’t need makeup to be stunning.” Taylor crossed the distance between them; even a few feet was too far away. She brushed her fingertips against the wide jeweled collar resting on Estela’s shoulders. She laid her hand on the bare skin of Estela’s back and felt the scars crossing her skin. Finally, she took Estela’s hands in her own. “Estela... thank you. Not for wearing this,” she hurried to say when Estela opened her mouth. “I’m definitely not saying that you’re not gorgeous in this dress, because you’re beautiful in anything. But I want to say thank you for being you. Thank you for loving me, believing in me, waiting for me, fighting for me. For all of it, thank you. Thank you for being my prickly, fierce, astonishingly tender wife. Thank you, Estela.”</p>
<p>“Taylor....” Estela freed one hand to brush away her tears. Her voice shaking a little, she said, “I tried so hard not to love you. I told myself to be hard and I kept reminding myself that my only goal in coming to La Huerta was to find the man who killed my mother. But by the time I admitted to myself that I had feelings for you, you were buried so deep in my heart and my soul that loving you wasn’t even an option. I would have had an easier time deciding not to breathe than to stop loving you. And having you back with us, back with <em>me</em>... it’s everything. Sometimes I wake up and I look at you next to me and I can’t believe how lucky I am.” Swallowing hard, she looked down at Taylor’s hand, still in hers, and raised it to her lips. Haltingly, she said, “Together, these hands planted the seed of our love. You will remain beside me as I grow and change. These hands will wipe tears of sorrow and joy from my eyes –” Her voice broke.</p>
<p>Taylor wrapped her free arm around Estela’s waist. Her voice trembling almost as badly as Estela’s, she continued their wedding vows. “There are roots between us, a foundation of trust that will deepen, preserving us from storms to come. No land, sea or person may keep those who are destined apart. Even the whole damn universe was too weak and too small to keep me away from you, Estela Montoya. I’m yours, and you’re mine, and we’re one soul. Forever.” She leaned her forehead against Estela’s, her eyes closed, her heart filled to bursting.</p>
<p>“For eternity,” Estela murmured. “Always, <em>mi amor.</em>” She took one step away, but her fingers were still entwined with Taylor’s. “Look at us. We’re getting all weepy and the weddings haven’t even started yet. I suppose it’s for the best that I’m not wearing mascara this time.”</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, Taylor shook out the folds of her dress. “It wouldn’t matter if you were. We’re old married ladies celebrating our anniversary. We’re allowed to be sentimental.” She pressed her lips to Estela’s in a long, tender kiss, and then said, “Feel like showing this whole town what ‘happily ever after’ can look like?”</p>
<p>“Every day of my life,” Estela said as she let Taylor lead her out into the sunlight.</p>
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<p>
  <em>We are so lightly here</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It is in love that we are made</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>In love we disappear</em>
</p>
<p> <em><strong>Boogie Street</strong></em>, Leonard Cohen</p>
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